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Do You Want to Make any Particular Plant a “Hero” in Your Design?

by with No Comment Drought Resistant LawnLandscaping
A hero plant can be more than a flower on your backyard.

Many people, when designing their landscape, have a vision in mind. What they want their dream back or front yard to look like. Others know they want a change but have a hard time deciding on design elements or themes for their landscape. An excellent option for building a landscape is choosing a “Hero” plant. This is basically a focal plant that gives you an attractive visual entry point to your yard or garden.

Although choosing a “Hero” plant isn’t necessarily difficult, you should keep in mind how you can support this plant with either supporting plants, hardscape and other features. Join me as we go through these elements in order to help you design a visually appealing landscape.

What is a Focal Point?

In your landscape, a focal point refers to where you want to direct the eyesight of guests visiting your yard. Any feature in your garden that you deem striking can be used as a focal point. 

Unique, exotic or colorful plants can create an exciting point of interest if the supporting landscape follows more natural colors and smoother lines. Trees can give a sense of scale while providing unique textures to your garden. Dwarf shrubs or potted bonsai trees can create a bit of an optical illusion shifting the sense of scale to make your landscape seem bigger than it is. Simple sculptures or decorative potted plants and hardscapes can be used to stand out from the natural colors and shapes. Water features like a bird bath, pond or waterfall can also be used to draw both eyes and ears towards the sounds of water.

Choosing your “Hero” Plant

A hero plant is basically the focal point of your landscape. There are many options for a “hero” plant, this can be anywhere from a fancy plant that you build your landscape around to a particular plant that you are already growing, like a tree you grew from a seed.

A “hero” plant can also be a beneficial plant to your environment. Many environmentally conscious customers like the idea of having the focal point in their garden also aid with local wildlife, a plant, tree or shrub that not only looks spectacular but can also help local insects, and birds thrive. For example the California fuchsia with thin red flowers attracts hummingbirds when it blooms in summer and fall, or the California milkweed which blooms with a round cluster of small white, pink or lavender flowers and can host the iconic monarch butterfly among others.

Supporting your Focal Point

Now that you’ve selected a focal point for your landscape you need to support it. Ideally you want eyes to naturally gravitate towards the focal point. There are a few different ways to provide support. Following the rules of 3rds is a great way to get started. Imagine your landscape is a canvas, divide it into a 3×3 grid pattern. The focal point should be placed either in the left or right side of the grid but never the middle. The rule of 3rds gives your landscape more depth, and is more visually dynamic.

You can design your landscape to have walkways, hardscape, walls, or flower beds to guide your eyes towards your focal point. Don’t forget that at night, your landscape design can change depending on the amount of light available. Lighting can be used to emphasize focal points during evenings. A plant or tree can blend into the surroundings during the day, but once the sun sets can be the “hero” of your landscape.

How would you feel with a yard expressly designed to fit your unique home and personality?

Our staff is dedicated to delivering unique landscapes that 100% fit the needs of homeowners. Each yard is designed in-house by our landscape designer. Our expertise and experience in the cities of Long Beach, Lakewood, Seal Beach, Rossmoor & surrounding communities allows us to custom design the perfect landscape for you.

Your project is carefully managed by our team of experts. Whether you are looking to turn your front yard into a showpiece or creating the backyard of your dreams we are here to help. Fill out our Landscape Design request for landscape to fit your aesthetic today. Feel free to call us at (562) 225-9460 or get a free quote for the project you have in mind.

This beautiful backyard woodland garden features a maintenance free lawn made of realistic looking artificial grass, a huge landscaping trend for small spaces.

Should you Paint Your Lawn?

by with No Comment Drought Resistant Lawn
Drought has changed the way lawn can be taken care of and how to best help them survive water restrictions.

Options for Lawns To Be Drought Resistance

Did you know there is a way to keep your lawn green while saving water? The majority of LA county has been in a severe drought for the last month according to drought.gov. And with the drought predicted to continue for the time being, the stress to your lawn with the heat and irregular waterings may cause it to brown.

Maybe you should look into painting your lawn, the idea of painting your lawn as though it were a wall inside your home can seem odd to many homeowners. But it conserves water, and is far more commonly done than you may imagine. Did you know that because golf courses need to keep their grass green year round, golf courses often paint their turf when it becomes dry and brown.

Today we’ll share some of the reasons why in Los Angeles County painting your lawn has increased in popularity.

An Innovative Solution to Care for Your Lawn

As watering limitations are implemented in Long Beach CA to watering twice per week, many lawns begin to suffer as they begin to dry out due to the heat and lack of moisture. Not everyone has the ability to re-sod drought resistant grass that can thrive under these conditions. And many drought resistant lawns still have a dormancy period during the winter when they’ll begin to dry out as well.

Depending on the rate of growth and mowing, painting your lawn with green turf colorants can last for up to 3 months. Regardless of if your lawn is going through a dormancy period, fighting disease or pests, green lawn paint will keep your lawn looking healthy. Getting your lawn painted is not only an affordable service, it saves time and money by not needing to fertilize, water or maintain your lawn as often you would traditionally.

What is Grass Paint Made of?

When we say paint your lawn, we don’t mean buy a can of spray paint and get started. Though the process is similar, grass paint is nothing like the typical paint you buy at the paint department of a home improvement store. The product is called “turf paint” or “turf colorant”, it’s a non-toxic pigment made of dyed pulverized stone or decaying plants. It is pet friendly and lays on the surface of  your grass giving it a boost in color while recovering to its natural green. The paint doesn’t block out the sun’s light giving you peace of mind knowing you’re not doing any further damage to your lawn.

Benefits of Painting Your Lawn

Painting your lawn is a short term solution that mainly is used to cover up or hide imperfections in your lawn. It can hide climate stress, aging, discoloration while leaving you with a beautiful green color you enjoy. This is meant to be a temporary fix while you seek more permanent solutions, waiting for your grass to leave its dormancy period, or simply to cover up spots caused by dog urine, disease, or dry patches. Even the best kept lawns have to deal with some issues occasionally and having an immediate solution reduces stress while dealing with the issue. 

By painting your lawn you can reduce the use of your sprinkler system. Saving you money on your water bill and avoiding water run off. Sprinklers are a great tool to use when trying to save time, but aren’t very efficient and typically use far more water than necessary.

Everyone is looking to save money, and lawn care can be expensive and time consuming. In some cases dealing with browning lawns can be too much to handle and homeowners opt to pay to have sod installed. With grass paint you get the vibrant green color back while you deal with the root problem of your lawn.

The benefits of painting your lawn go further than just the grass itself. It makes the house look appealing year round. It gives instant curb appeal if you’re looking to rent or sell the home. It can be re applied as needed and is very do it yourself (DIY) friendly however, if you’re not experienced you should hire a professional service to reduce overspray as the turf paint can be permanent.

How would you feel with a yard expressly designed to fit your unique home and personality?

Our staff is dedicated to delivering unique landscapes that 100% fit the needs of homeowners. Each yard is designed in-house by our landscape designer. Our expertise and experience in the cities of Long Beach, Lakewood, Seal Beach, Rossmoor & surrounding communities allows us to custom design the perfect landscape for you.

Your project is carefully managed by our team of experts. Whether you are looking to turn your front yard into a showpiece or creating the backyard of your dreams we are here to help. Fill out our Landscape Design request for a landscaping redesign to be water conscious today. Feel free to call us at (562) 225-9460 or get a free quote for the project you have in mind.

A Drought Resistant Lawn Solution

by Drought Resistant Lawn
A Drought Resistant Lawn Is a Great Option For Your Home

The Right Lawn For The Right Home

Have you ever been frustrated by dry patches on your lawn? Is Southern California’s inconsistent weather causing your lawn to be brown, and dry instead of a beautiful, lush and healthy green? Would you like to learn how to solve this challenge?

Especially during the hot summer days throughout Los Angeles County where some cities are limited to watering their lawn once per week. There are some ways to help alleviate this problem, join me as we discuss potential causes and solutions to get to the root of your lawn troubles.

Poor Soil Quality in Long Beach

In some cases, even with adequate watering, your lawn can still begin to dry up. The reason being that the soil under the grass may be compacted. Compacted soil doesn’t allow water to penetrate it leaving puddles of water on the surface where it eventually evaporates. Compacted soil can lead to a lack of moisture driving away small organisms which help the soil to stay healthy. 

One of the most effective ways of loosening your compacted soil is with core aeration. Where small bits of soil are pulled up through the lawn. The space created by core aeration relieves pressure, softens and creates small gaps in the compacted soil to allow water to penetrate the surface and roots to grow deeper. Though aerating your lawn can be done on your own, it’s best left to professionals. Aerating your lawn is labor intensive and season dependent. If the timing is wrong, aerating can further damage your lawn.

Amending Your Soil

A healthy lawn can only be grown on healthy soil. Healthy soil should be more than just dirt. If you have noticed dead or dry patches in your lawn, you may need to amend your lawn with compost. Adding organic material can help retain moisture under the surface of the soil. If you are seeding your lawn, consider mixing organic compost with any dry patches of soil you see. In severe cases you may need to have your entire lawn amended before reseeding. When seeding, moisture is crucial which makes it difficult during a seasonal drought. 

Drought Resistant Grass  

Being prone to droughts makes landscaping your home difficult. Fortunately, finding drought resistant grass is not as hard as it used to be. As there has been a widespread adoption of drought resistant grass in Southern California in recent years. With water restrictions becoming more strict these drought resistant grasses require less than 25% of water compared to traditional grass.

Zoysia grass is a low-growing grass that grows so dense it can prevent weeds from growing. Zoysia grass spreads fast, and resists insects and diseases that could harm other kinds of grass. A shortcoming of zoysia is that it’s not green year round and in our weather it can remain dormant for longer than some people would like.

Bermuda grass has a few variations though most commonly grows 1 – 4 inches long and has rough edges. It also is a fast grower and can tolerate heavy foot traffic. Like zoysia, bermuda grass also goes dormant during the colder seasons. Although drought tolerant, bermuda grass needs plenty of sun and doesn’t do well in shade.

Kikuyu grass thrive in hot weather due to them growing deep roots combined with disease resistance, kikuyu grass can remain green year round. Rapid growing and resilient to neglect the kikuyu grass can quickly recover from heavy foot traffic making it ideal for homes with children and pets. 

Buffalo grass grows up to 8 inches, is dense and spreads through horizontal root- forming stems called stolons and it can tolerate heavy foot traffic. Newer cultivars are more drought tolerant and  resistant to weeds compared to traditional buffalo grass, though may still require weed care. Like many other grasses on this list, buffalo grass also goes dormant during the winter which can be a deal breaker for some.

Grass alternatives

If you don’t expect any foot traffic on your lawn, and want to conserve water while still having something beautiful to look at there are alternatives that can be used instead of grass. Creeping thyme can produce a vibrant color with violet flowers. Usually used around pathways and areas smaller than a traditional lawn. Another popular option is to use plants native to Southern California such as:

  • California Fuchsia
  • California Poppy
  • Kidney Weed
  • Chalk Liveforever
  • Sedum

Being native, they are drought tolerant and rarely need extra care to thrive. 

How would you feel with a yard expressly designed to fit your unique home and personality?

Our staff is dedicated to delivering unique landscapes that 100% fit the needs of homeowners. Each yard is designed in-house by our landscape designer. Our expertise and experience in the cities of Long Beach, Lakewood, Seal Beach, Rossmoor & surrounding communities allows us to custom design the perfect landscape for you.

Your project is carefully managed by our team of experts. Whether you are looking to turn your front yard into a showpiece or creating the backyard of your dreams we are here to help. Fill out our Landscape Design Free Quote today.